A former Golden Eagle student-athlete and now a valuable member of the coaching staff, Adriana Valdez returns for her eighth season with the Cal State LA women’s soccer program. She rejoined the staff for her second coaching stint prior to the 2019 season and was instrumental in helping the Golden Eagles win a California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament championship in an outstanding 2022 season.

Valdez helped the Golden Eagles to an 11-4-6 overall record in 2022 that included a 5-1-5 mark in CCAA play. Cal State LA finished third in the conference, just three points out of first place. The Golden Eagles, as the No. 3 seed, posted consecutive shutouts over No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona (2-0), No. 2 Stanislaus State (1-0) and tournament host and No. 1 seed Sonoma State (1-0) to win the conference crown for the first time since 2014.

Cal State LA was ranked 24th in the nation in the end-of-the-season poll by the United Soccer Coaches. The Golden Eagles were included in the final end-of-the-year rankings for the first time since 2014.

In her first six seasons with the program, Cal State LA has recorded a 51-43-20 overall record.

Valdez was a big help getting the Golden Eagles back on the field in 2021 and into successful situations both athletically and academically.

Valdez helped the Golden Eagles reach the CCAA Tournament for an eighth straight season after a thrilling push down the stretch. Cal State LA got a win in double overtime over Cal Poly Pomona in the regular-season finale to reach the tournament and then advanced on penalty kicks in a first-round match at San Francisco State after a 1-1 tie.

Cal State LA reached the tournament semi-finals for the first time since 2017. The Golden Eagles were 6-10-3 overall, including a 6-3-1 mark over their final 10 games. Cal State LA was 6-4-1 in conference play.

While the Golden Eagles were unable to compete in 2020 due to the pandemic, Valdez was instrumental in the helping the program achieve unprecedented academic success resulting in a record number of conference academic honors.

Valdez helped the Golden Eagles to a historic season in 2019 in her return to the program. The Golden Eagles recorded their first-ever NCAA road victory with a 1-0 win at Sonoma State and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. The Golden Eagles made their first NCAA postseason appearance since 2014 and also qualified for the CCAA Tournament for a seventh straight season.

Valdez coached at Cal State LA for three seasons in her first stint with the program.

She began her collegiate coaching career in 2015 and helped Cal State LA go 8-2-2 over its final 12 games and finish with a 7-7-4 overall record.

She then helped the Golden Eagles reach the CCAA Tournament title match in 2016. The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 7-9-4 overall record.

In 2017, she was with the Golden Eagles when Cal State LA posted a 9-5-3 overall record and finished second in the CCAA with a 7-3-2 mark.

Valdez returned to Cal State LA after spending the 2018 season at Whittier College. While she was there, the team recorded the most shutouts in program history, allowed the fewest goals in program history and recorded a total of 19 points in conference play, which also was the best in program history.

Valdez already has some valuable head coaching experience as well. In 2016, she was named the women’s varsity soccer head coach at Fullerton Union High School, where she had been an assistant coach since 2013. In her first year as head coach, she led the team to its first CIF playoff berth since 2010.

Valdez earned a big honor in 2017 when she was awarded with a Woman of Distinction Award in the city of Fullerton.

She has also been a youth soccer coach for the Fullerton Rangers since 2010.

Valdez competed in semi-pro soccer for two seasons with the L.A. Vikings and played alongside top national player Maribel Dominguez.

Valdez graduated from Cal State LA in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and earned her Master’s degree in Coaching and Exercise Science from Concordia University – Irvine in 2021.

She played for the Golden Eagles for two seasons in 2012 and 2013 after competing for two years at Cal State Bakersfield.

She competed in soccer, cross country and track and field at Fullerton High School.

Valdez currently resides in Anaheim with her family.